Hwy 50 fire touches EDH neighborhood

The 50 Fire started next to eastbound Highway 50 in Folsom and traveled over the southern ridge. The fire was contained without harming homes in the Stonebriar neighborhood of El Dorado Hills. Photos by Roberta Long

A unified command of three fire agencies attacked a fast-spreading grass fire south of Highway 50 around the Folsom-El Dorado County line on Friday afternoon, July 19.

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It was another in a series of hot, dry days with light E-NE winds. The temperature was 95 degrees when the fire was reported at 2:12 p.m.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), Folsom Fire Department and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded with equipment and personnel. Aerial support picked up water from a pond south of the fire. Planes dropped rounds of fire retardant.

Fire Prevention Specialist and Public Information Officer Teri Mizuhara of Cal Fire reported the source of the fire was a vehicle traveling eastbound on Highway 50. The source point was east of the intersection of East Bidwell Street-Scott Road and Highway 50, not far from the crest of the hill.

Flames and smoke quickly traveled uphill over a ridge leading to White Rock Road, and at one point a thin line of flames could be seen running close to Highway 50 from the start of the fire in Folsom to the edge of Stonebriar neighborhood in El Dorado Hills. Firefighters followed the trail with water hoses, dousing the flames until all that could be seen was charred ground and smoke wisps.

The last update on what Cal Fire called the 50 Fire came at 5:15 p.m., when it was declared 100 percent contained.

Mizuhara said the fire burned 163.2 acres. Of the total, 95.3 acres was in a State Responsibility Area, and 67.9 was in Folsom in a Local Responsibility Area.

The three multi-use towers on top of the hill were not harmed, although the blaze burned all around them.

The fire traveled to homes on the northwestern perimeter of Stonebriar, touching fencing along the back yards. Firefighters were able to protect the homes. Mizuhara said there was no major damage as a result of the fire.